A Guide to Great Macbook Accessories

written by: Austin•edited by: Amy Carson•updated: 9/29/2011

Laptops are one of the easiest pieces of technology to customize and upgrade, partly due to their size, and partly due to how personal they are to an individual person. Here's a guide on all of the best Macbook accessories, so you can make there's a little bit of you hidden within your laptop.

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Maccessorize!

I would like to apologize for that utterly terrible pun up there, but really, what better way to describe the endless possibilities that customizing our Macbook computers gives us? You can add something simple like a few stickers, find something to help you work like external hard drives, or even buy cases that can protect your laptop from harm -- the amount of choices you have is vast.

Macbook keyboards are fragile, and if you're not careful, can be broken easily. This is a huge hassle, because not only does that mean you have to replace it- it also means you weren't doing the simple things you could have to protect it. Here are some great products to help protect your Macbook keyboard.

Making the switch to wireless can happen many ways: Some people don't like having to be right in front of their screen while typing, and others just accidentally broke their original laptop keyboard, but don't want to spend the money or time on repairs. For those people, we have a great selection of wireless laptop keyboards that you can pair with your Macbook for ultimate ergonomics.

After you get a wireless keyboard to work with your Macbook, it's important to know how to set it up and make sure everything works without a hitch. This step by step guide can do that, plus much more, without costing you a penny over zero dollars.

Unlike the keyboard on a laptop, the mouse is something that most people prefer having an external device for. In this day and age, something that isn't wireless won't pass, so we've compiled the best Macbook wireless mice to make sure you can do everything you need to do as quickly as you need to do it.

Macbooks (especially the older plastic models) are notorious for excessive overheating, which causes issues for use both because it can go so far as hurting to set on your lap, and because it could potentially harm your computer. If you need a great way to keep your laptop cool, but not break the bank, you've found it.

Worried about your Macbook getting dinged, scratched, or broken? Worry no longer, because these great hard cases for that exact computer both look really stylish, and provide a service to you. After all, a broken Macbook is a heck of a lot more expensive than one of these cases.

Cases are a well liked accessory for laptops, but nothing says "polished" and "elegant" like a true business-looking leather carrying case. Obviously you can't leave it on when you use the computer, but imagine how nice one of these clean leather cases would look over your standard laptop bag.

If you're not a traditional Macbook owner, but instead opted for the sleeker Macbook Air, this post will interest you. Covering both the protection and the aesthetic of your computer, these case options for the Air are second to none, and also aren't too hard to find.

If you (like me) own an older white model of the Macbook, you're probably wondering where all of your love is. Well, it's right here, because we've got five great 13" Macbook cases for you to choose from, organized from best to worst.

So beyond all of the individual niches, what if you want something that both adds some protection, but still looks good? Or provides the best balance of carry-ability and aesthetic? Look no further, because here they are: The five best overall Macbook cases.

If you're not sure what a docking station is, you can think of it as an all in one garage for your computer that allows you to attach multiple external accessories to your Macbook just by setting it down. These great docking stations range from those that just charge your Macbook quickly, to ones that charge, house, and provide very easy portability to your computer.

One of the virtues of having a laptop is that it's portable, but a big downside is that the speaker quality is never all that great. To remedy this, we've compiled a list of some great portable speakers for use with laptops that you can take around the world or around the block without losing great sound.

Many people realize the advantages of getting a USB hub early in their computing "career", but if you've still yet to give in and buy one, here are some great (and pleasing to the eye) choices that work great with Mac.

Want to record that great match of Call of Duty you just played, or perhaps a commercial you just HAVE to show your friends? Look no further because these video capture cards can do just that, plus help you edit your videos in a snap.

Contrary to the aforementioned video capture cards, these devices allow to connect your Macbook to a TV so you can view the videos you're watching, games you're playing, and websites you're viewing on a bigger screen. The best part? It's actually relatively inexpensive, and pretty easy to do.

Okay, maybe not literally turning it into your TV, but these great accessories will let you watch TV... on your Macbook. Similar to how a TV tuner would work, you just plug it in, configure a few things, and in no time you'll be watching you favorite episodes of True Blood or Hawaii Five Oh in a snap.

Getting bored of your laptop's simple monitor? Want to switch a bigger, more luxurious one? Or maybe your line of work requires you to have two monitors running at the same time? Whatever the case, these easy to use display adapters will have you covered, from the initial purchase all the way through the set up and use processes.

Need something a little stronger than just a simple display adapter? This guide will tell you what you need to buy if you want to attach more than one external monitor to your Macbook's little screen. In addition, it walks you through the steps on the extra video card you'll need, how to set that up, and what to do when you've got everything plugged in. Even if you were skeptical about external monitors, this guide could change your mind.

Primarily built for the DVD-drive-less Macbook Air, these fantastic external disc readers will suit all of your needs, whether you never had one in the first place, or if you just broke the one you had. Models run anywhere from $30 to over $100 dollars.

This may seem a little weird to you now, but how many times have you gotten lost, longing to pull out your laptop and check Google maps for directions? Probably at least once, which is why it makes sense that a lot of third-party developers have come out with GPS apps and GPS accessories for the Macbook. If you've been in that situation, you may want to check this out.

Aside from getting lost (which would require the aforementioned GPS additions), another thing that happens in the car a lot is that your laptop battery will die and you'll be stuck with nothing to do. Don't be that guy: Buy a car charger for you Macbook, leave it in your car, and never be without power again.

One of the worst feelings in the world is watching your laptop battery slowly die while you're using it, knowing that you lost your charger and probably won't be able to use the computer for a while. If this does ever happen do you, whether you lost it or broke it, you'll need to know where to buy a new one and how to find the right one. This guide will tell you just that.

Often times totally see-through and hard to detect, a scratch-resistant film is one of the most important accessories any Macbook owner can buy. Ever bump your laptop into something? Drop it? Set something on it that shouldn't be there? All of these things cause scratches, whether you see them right away or not, and you'll want to protect yourself from them while prolonging the overall life of your laptop.

There are countless Macbook accessories on the market today, and if you don't know what you're looking for you could get confused pretty quickly. Hopefully this guide helped you decide on what was right for you and what wasn't, but if you still have any questions about any of these devices, or want to point out a great accessory you bought, do so in the comments- we love hearing what you have to say! Until next time, happy Maccessorizing!